The day Delaney said her first word, I felt a physical stab of joy in my heart… and it wasn’t even, “ma-ma”. The sweet thing said, ‘Bit’… short for blanket – the piece of fabric that has accompanied her every move since birth.
It might go with her to college.
I’m not kidding.
That and her thumb. These are two things I’m fairly certain she might not ever give up.
But that milestone, her first word, was soon overshadowed by her first steps, the first time she slept through the night, the first time she tried and LIKED a vegetable, her first ‘at-bat’ and her first time ‘swimming’.
But the ‘first’ that will, I imagine, forever be the one that stays with me was hearing her read for the very first time. I can say this because I have always been a reader and I’ve always hoped she would love the feel of a book in her hands as I do, but truly, hearing your child sound out words and succeed is nothing short of magical.
One of my favorite pictures of my sweet girl will always be this one: bookish and fully absorbed in the beauty of a story. Of all the things I wish for my children – this is one of them – I want them to LOVE to read, to read at every opportunity, to get lost in a story, to read to learn, to read for pleasure and for personal growth.
And I KNOW, once again, that my small people are so susceptible to my example.
Guess who has been slacking on her reading? With much embarrassment, I admit, I have read less in the last year than in my entire life. I will blame it on writing a book, being simply too tired to dive in. But what kind of example am I setting like that?
I want my small people to see me with a book constantly open. I don’t want to tell them I’m reading on my computer. I want them to watch me flipping the pages. I want them to ask me about the stories. I want to ASK THEM about their stories.
So, I’m creating a new P&G everyday resolution.
Family reading time. Each day, we will set aside time to read together. Sometimes they will read to me, sometimes I will read to them and occasionally we will keep each other company as we all read our own books… but it will be book time.
And Family time. Family-book-time, that is.
What are you doing to add some extra inspiration to your daily life? Start with something simple!
To reward consumers for taking these steps, P&G everyday will be giving away $100,000 in prizes during the month of June.
- For each person who submits an everyday resolution to the P&G everyday Facebook Page, they will be automatically entered for a chance to win:
- From June 1 – June 25: Three $1,000 VISA® prepaid debit cards a day.
- From June 26 – June 30: Five $1,000 VISA® prepaid debit cards a day.
When you join the conversation and share your resolution, you can also include a picture.
And for those of you who have already submitted a resolution, be sure to visit the P&G everyday Facebook page in order to enter daily for another chance to win! I will be sharing an everyday resolution on my Twitter and Facebook pages each day during the month of June and I would love for you to join me. You can also follow P&G everyday resolutions on twitter or register for their newsletter at P&G everyday for extra tips and tricks “for your life in progress”.
Disclosure: I am working as a spokesperson for P&G’s everyday resolution campaign. Why? Because I use P&G products on a daily basis and it makes me happy to share this new project with you. As always, all opinions and stories are mine alone.
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